Chapter 122: The Portrait of the Goddess
Chapter 122: The Portrait of the Divine Maiden
The grand veil of true energy, dyed a smoky ash-gold hue, suddenly froze upon an image: Wu Hong standing beside a woman by a vast lake.
Her face was indistinct, but she resembled a celestial fairy descending from the heavens—dressed in pure snow-white robes, ethereal and graceful, as if a goddess herself.
The tens of thousands gathered at the military training ground were utterly stunned. How could such a pure and transcendent woman exist among mortals? If not a goddess, then what else could she be?
At this moment, everyone completely forgot that this entire scene was crafted from Wu Hong’s true energy. Of course, some sharp observers noticed it, and their shock was unparalleled, their bodies trembling uncontrollably with excitement.
Some soldiers of weaker will were shaken by the aura emanating from the true energy-formed Divine Maiden suspended in the air. Their legs trembled, nearly causing them to collapse to the ground in worship.
The key was the woman’s aura, formed from true energy—it was simply breathtaking, capturing the soul.
Even Emperor Yang Wei’s face darkened. He had to admit that just now, a deep sense of insignificance had crept into his heart. This feeling of his own smallness, beneath his usual lofty pride, filled him with shame.
Wu Hong clearly remembered the very first time he had seen Zhou Linger. At that moment, the natural divine aura exuded by her body, vast enough to cover heaven and earth, almost brought him to his knees.
That feeling, so immersive and real, was now recreated without limit by Wu Hong’s miraculous true energy. That celestial aura naturally moved everyone.
It made all who beheld the true energy-formed Zhou Linger feel a profound sense of their own insignificance.
Gradually, Wu Hong’s unique true energy froze Zhou Linger’s portrait in midair.
Her garments drifted gracefully, her gaze proud and unparalleled, unlike any mortal, looking down on all beings, enchanting them into reverence and awe.
“Ah—Hail to the Divine Maiden!” At last, some lowly civil officials, unable to resist this overwhelming presence, knelt and worshipped before Zhou Linger’s portrait suspended above the training ground.
Once one person took the lead, others quickly followed.
Even Wu Songran wore a dazed expression. The green-clad maiden who had been teasing him moments before stared blankly at the imposing portrait in the air. Luckily, as women, they possessed stronger resistance than men.
Several deeply cultivated generals struggled to restrain themselves or closed their eyes to avoid looking at the Divine Maiden in midair.
Yet the image remained in their minds—like a deity gazing down upon them from above—causing their bodies to tremble uncontrollably.
Even Emperor Yang Wei enveloped himself in a shroud of black, flame-like true energy, struggling to resist the overwhelming pressure from the heavens.
At that moment, Yang Wei had the illusion that the aura radiating from the woman in midair was far more terrifying than that of the old poison master who had just ascended to the Innate Realm.
If Yang Wei himself could barely withstand it, he certainly had no hope of restraining the inappropriate behavior of the civil and military ministers nearby.
The ash-gold portrait of the Divine Maiden hovered, radiating an aura that looked down upon the world with supreme arrogance, contemptuous of all beings. Everyone doubted that if such a woman truly existed, no one in the world could stand against her. With a mere wave of her hand, mountains could shatter and rivers collapse; the sun and moon would fade before her magnificent might.
Just as everyone felt overwhelmed by this immense pressure, Wu Hong suddenly opened his eyes. Two pale golden beams shot upward, piercing the sky! In that instant, Wu Hong seemed to gaze beyond the heavens’ edge, seeing endless towering mountains.
“Rumble—Rumble—” Thunderclouds gathered in the sky. “Crack—” A deafening thunderclap startled everyone awake.
Yet no one felt relief; instead, tension grew even tighter.
“Heavens! I’ve seen this before! This is the Innate Tribulation Lightning! We’re doomed! We’ll all die here!” someone in the crowd screamed in mental collapse.
Emperor Yang Wei’s face turned grim. At this time, tribulation clouds gathered overhead; there was no other explanation. Wu Hong was likely about to ascend to the Innate Realm.
But clearly, this was not the right time or place. This was the imperial palace, filled with the most influential ministers of the Great Qian Dynasty and the prince’s royal tutors.
Envoys from great nations were also present. They had come to witness Wu Hong’s painting demonstration, only to be shaken to the heavens by his true energy-formed Divine Maiden!
And now, an Innate Tribulation Lightning was gathering? If it struck, it would surely bring catastrophic destruction to the entire palace.
Yet Wu Hong appeared unfazed, his face serene as a god’s. His hands quickly formed seals, and he shouted with a voice that shook the heavens.
“Swift—”
With that shout, the ash-gold true energy Divine Maiden flashed brilliantly and darted straight toward the ten-meter square canvas before Wu Hong.
Suddenly, sweeping waves of colorful light filled the sky, forming radiant clouds of myriad hues. Soon, delicate snowflakes drifted down from the heavens, pure and immaculate.
Everyone was petrified. No one paid attention to the painting on the canvas; all eyes were captivated by this miraculous scene.
The lotus-shaped snowflakes continued to fall, shining silver-white. Though they seemed cold beyond measure, the crowd felt as if bathed in a gentle spring breeze.
Their hearts were cleansed. Past worries and confusions seemed to dissolve effortlessly.
“Heavens! Is this the divine sage’s descent?” a voice trembled with excitement.
The tribulation clouds gradually dispersed, but the awe-inspiring spectacle left everyone stunned.
Some could not bear the shock, their eyes rolling back as they fainted.
Even the once cold and loyal Imperial Guard stood agape, mouths agape in disbelief.
The two-headed demon wolves of the Demon Wolf Guard lay obediently at their masters’ feet, ignoring all calls.
A heavenly omen had descended! The crowd erupted in chaos, discussing the Divine Maiden and the celestial phenomena.
The vast imperial palace of tens of thousands became more tumultuous than the largest marketplace of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Suddenly, someone shouted, pointing at the canvas before Wu Hong, “Heavens! Look, the Divine Maiden!”
That shout triggered everyone’s attention. All eyes turned to the canvas.
On what had been pristine paper now appeared a vivid, lively figure, her aura ethereal, gazing down upon all beings with supreme disdain.
She inspired boundless reverence, forbidding even the slightest disrespect. Just moments ago she hovered in the sky; now she was on the canvas.
The crowd went wild again. Those who had just worshipped the Divine Maiden resumed kowtowing, their heads bleeding from the fervor.
Wu Hong paid no mind to the frenzied crowd. He quietly closed his eyes once more, reflecting on his recent experience.
The painting process had deepened his understanding; his true energy had improved twofold. A simple test revealed that he had manifested two arms of the Thousand-Handed Tathagata.
If his previous power was one unit, now it was two. Wu Hong marveled at the Great Sun Tathagata’s profound technique—it was monstrously powerful.
He had thought it was merely a high-level Innate cultivation method, but it repeatedly produced miracles.
He dared not imagine what would happen when he summoned a third arm—would it add one more or multiply power exponentially?
And what if he manifested a thousand arms?
Of course, all this was speculation; he knew none of the specifics.
Coming back to his senses, Wu Hong looked at the frenzied crowd with understanding and said, “Ahem— I believe the contest is over. I would like to know—have my humble painting skills won or lost?”
Each of Wu Hong’s words carried his true energy. The crowd instantly shuddered, their senses sharpening, as if awakened from a trance.